Navigable Presentation of a Variety of Solutions for Therapy Plans

1. A method for computer implemented representing a plurality of pre-calculated solutions stored in a database ( 10 ) and displayed on a display device ( 20 ) in a manner to be controlled by a user comprising: displaying a DVH (dose volume histogram) diagram ( 30 ) having a number of DVH curves as a main diagram, wherein only one of a plurality of pre-calculated stored solutions is visually represented at a time; selecting a first starting point ( 41 a ) on a selected one ( 40 a ) of a number of DVH curves ( 39 ; 40 a , 50 a , 60 a ) in the DVH diagram and placing a first straight axis on the display device ( 20 ), the axis extending through the first starting point; and highlighting a first region located around the first starting point ( 41 a ) and on the first straight axis as a first control region for visualization of the plurality of currently non-displayed solutions stored in the database ( 10 ), the DVH curves thereof which correspond to the selected DVH curve ( 40 a ) and intersect the first straight axis, thereby configuring a length of the first region on the first straight axis, allowing the user to control the plurality of solutions through the highlighted first region, where each of the solutions is represented by a point of intersection; wherein the first control region ( 72 b ) is extended by a section ( 72 b ′) including a calculation ( 12 ) of solutions, associated DVH curves ( 40 c , 50 c , 60 c ) in the DVH diagram ( 30 ) and points of intersection ( 41 c ) with the straight axis ( 71 ) located outside its initial extension on its straight axis ( 71 ), and a possible representation of these points of intersection.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein three auxiliary diagrams ( 35 , 36 , 37 ) are provided, which are three sectional views in directions perpendicular to each other including indicated isodoses, and wherein volumes—corresponding to the number of DVH curves ( 39 ) of the DVH diagram ( 30 )—are represented in the auxiliary diagrams.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first control region ( 72 , 74 ) has an upper and a lower final value ( 71 b , 71 c ; 73 a , 73 b ) being the greatest and the smallest value of the corresponding stored DVH curves, which also intersect the first straight axis ( 71 , 73 ).

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a further starting point ( 61 a ) is selected on one of the number of DVH curves ( 39 , 40 a , 50 a , 60 a ) and a second straight axis ( 75 ) is represented as extending through the further starting point ( 61 a ).

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein a further control region ( 76 ) is represented around the second starting point ( 61 a ) on a further straight axis ( 75 ) in a highlighted manner on the display device ( 20 ).

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a number of straight axes ( 71 , 75 , 77 ) extend through a number of points of intersection with two or three curves ( 40 a , 50 a , 60 a ), which straight axes are preferably oriented in parallel.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one straight axis ( 71 ) extends in a vertical direction.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one ( 73 ) of the straight axes ( 71 , 73 ) extends in a horizontal direction.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a represented axis ( 71 ) is rotatable by an angle in the range of ±89° about its starting point ( 71 a *, 41 a ).

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein intermediate solutions are calculated ( 12 ) from pre-calculated solutions stored in the database ( 10 ) and are available for displacement of the starting point ( 41 a ) as new points of intersection (d 1 , d 2 , . . . ) in the first control region ( 72 ).

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each point of intersection ( 41 c ) associated with a calculated solution and all DVH curves ( 40 c , 50 c , 60 c ) associated with the same solution are represented in the DVH diagram ( 30 ), when the associated point of intersection ( 41 c ) is selected in the extended section ( 72 b ′).

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one auxiliary view ( 35 , 36 , 37 ) is displayed visualizing the solution ( 40 a , 50 a , 60 a ) currently represented in the DVH diagram ( 30 ) in a different way.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein one or more control elements are represented on the at least one straight axis for navigation.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein a restrictor ( 75 d ) of the other control region acting as control element is unable to be moved beyond the current point of intersection and the starting point thus is always located within the other control region.

15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the displacement of the control element ( 75 d ) results in a restriction of the other control region ( 76 ) and thus in an exclusion of solutions for updating the first control regions on all straight axes ( 72 , 76 ) including removal of the points of intersection of the excluded solutions.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first starting point is a “selector” as the starting point or point of intersection ( 41 a ).

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the control element is a “restrictor” ( 71 e , 75 d ) for restricting one of upper and lower limit values of another control region to a reduced control region.

18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein intermediate solutions are calculated ( 12 ) from existing pre-calculated solutions in the database ( 10 ), and wherein the points of intersection thereof with the axis ( 71 ) are added to the control region ( 72 ) represented on the DVH diagram ( 30 ).

19. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a respective intermediate solution is calculated ( 12 ) from existing pre-calculated solutions in the database ( 10 ) during a respective displacement of the starting point ( 41 a , 41 a ′) and can, in each case, be represented in the DVH diagram ( 30 ) such that the point of intersection of a respective DVH graph ( 40 b ) of the intermediate solution intersects the straight axis ( 71 ) at the displaced starting point ( 41 a ′).

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein a number of displacements of the starting point ( 41 a , 41 a ′) take place, a number of which taking place at non-equal points in the associated first control region ( 72 ).

21. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a control element ( 75 d ), by displacement thereof, reduces or restricts another control region ( 76 ), different from the first control region, from a top or bottom thereof to a reduced longitudinal extension ( 76 a ).

22. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the extended first control region ( 72 b ) is extended by the section ( 72 b ′), wherein within a region, restricted by control elements ( 75 d ) on another straight axis ( 76 ), and possible representation of points of intersection.

23. The method according to claim 22 , wherein each point of intersection ( 41 c , 61 c ) associated with a calculated solution and all DVH curves ( 40 c , 50 c , 60 c ) associated with the same solution are represented in the DVH diagram ( 30 ), when the associated point of intersection ( 41 c ) is selected in the extended section ( 72 b ′).

24. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the respective axis ( 71 , 73 ) is a respective axis portion which, in any case, has a length greater than an associated length of the respective associated first control region ( 72 , 74 ).

25. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each new point of intersection and each respective DVH curve ( 40 c ) associated to the DVH diagram is also calculated ( 12 ) and represented in the DVH diagram ( 30 ), when the associated point of intersection ( 41 c ) is selected in the extended section ( 72 b ′).

26. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a number of—non-equal—straight axes ( 71 , 75 , 77 ), as at least a number of axis portions, extend through a number of points of intersection with a number of DVH curves ( 40 a , 50 a , 60 a ), which straight axes or axis portions ( 71 , 75 , 77 ) are oriented in parallel.

27. A computer implemented method for presenting on a display device a plurality of pre-calculated solutions stored in a database, the method comprising: displaying a DVH (dose volume histogram) diagram having a number of DVH curves as a main diagram, wherein one of a plurality of pre-calculated and stored solutions is visually represented at a time; selecting a first starting point on a selected one of a number of DVH curves in the DVH diagram and placing a first axis on the display device, the first axis extending through the first starting point; and defining a first region located around the first starting point and on the first axis as a first control region for visualizing the plurality of currently non-displayed solutions, the DVH curves thereof which correspond to the selected DVH curve and intersect the first axis, thereby configuring the length of the first region on the first axis, where each of the solutions is represented by a point of intersection; wherein at least one control element is represented on the first axis for navigation, selected from the group comprising a selector as the starting point or point of intersection, a restrictor for restricting an upper or a lower limit value of the first control region to a reduced control region.

28. The method according to claim 27 , wherein three auxiliary diagrams are provided, which are three sectional views in directions perpendicular to each other including indicated isodoses, and wherein volumes corresponding to the number of DVH curves of the DVH diagram are represented in the auxiliary diagrams.

29. The method according to claim 27 , wherein the first control region has an upper and a lower final value being the greatest and the smallest value of the corresponding stored DVH curves, which also intersect the first axis.

30. The method according to claim 27 , wherein a further starting point is selected on one of the number of DVH curves and a second straight axis is represented as extending through the further starting point.

31. The method according to claim 30 , wherein a further control region is represented around the second starting point on a further straight axis in a highlighted manner on the display device.

32. A method for interactively and computer-assisted selecting a solution from a plurality of pre-calculated solutions stored in a database ( 10 ) and displayed on a display device ( 20 ) in a manner controllable by a user, wherein interactive selection is computer-assisted and operates by: displaying a DVH diagram ( 30 ) as a main diagram on the screen of the display device ( 20 ), wherein only one of a plurality of pre-calculated stored solutions is visually represented in the main diagram at a time; selecting a first starting point on a selected one of a number of DVH curves in the DVH diagram ( 30 ), thereby causing a first straight axis ( 71 , 75 ) extending through the first starting point ( 41 a , 61 a ) and being optically highlighted as a first control region ( 72 , 76 ) located around the first starting point ( 41 a , 61 a ) and on the first straight axis ( 71 , 75 ); the first starting point being a first control element for controlling a change of the represented DVH curve to another DVH curve.

33. The method according to claim 32 , wherein a further control element is provided and, by displacement thereof, restricts the first control region ( 76 ) to a reduced longitudinal length.

34. The method according to claim 33 , wherein the first starting point ( 61 a ), by displacement thereof, causes a visualization module ( 11 ) to represent other DVH curves of the DVH diagram ( 30 ), one ( 60 b ) of which also intersecting the restricted control region ( 72 a , 76 a ).

35. The method according to claim 32 , wherein the first starting point ( 41 a ), by displacement ( 41 a ′, 41 b ) thereof, causes a visualization module ( 11 ) to represent other DVH curves of the DVH diagram ( 30 ), one ( 40 b ) of which also intersecting the first control region ( 72 ).

36. The method according to claim 32 , wherein the respective axis ( 71 , 75 ) is a respective axis portion having a length greater than the corresponding first control region ( 72 , 76 ).